Service Comparison: Redbox Instant Vs. Hulu Plus

There are many players in the video streaming service market right now so it can be difficult to differentiate which service is best for you. Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant are both reputable names in the industry therefore I will do my best to break down each service and pick an ultimate winner between the two.

Content Selection & Variety

Redbox Instant

The selection of streaming content found within the Redbox Instant service is focused strictly on movies and does not include any TV shows. This is a downfall compared to a competitor such as Hulu Plus which includes TV shows as well as movies. As for the movie selection, there is a reasonably good amount of new titles available for streaming, but the most popular titles will need to be rented in the physical DVD form via a Redbox kiosk. Fortunately, each Redbox Instant subscription comes with 4 DVD credits per month that allow you rent a physical DVD from your local Redbox Instant kiosk and return it the next day up to 4 times per month for no additional charge.

Hulu Plus

Unlike Redbox Instant, Hulu Plus offers streaming TV shows on their service as well as movies. The TV show realm is where Hulu Plus really shines as they have a wide selection of popular shows including Prison Break, Hannibal, Saturday Night Live, Deception, Shark Tank, Scandal, Grimm, Downton Abbey and hundreds more. Unfortunately, their movie selection is severely lacking as most titles I have never heard of mainly due to them being foreign, documentaries, or indie films. I must stress that Hulu Plus’ movie selection is not comparable to Redbox Instant’s movie selection in any form.

Winner: Tie

If you are strictly trying to stream movies instead of TV shows then Redbox Instant is the winner here. If you are more interested in streaming TV shows instead of movies then Hulu Plus is the service to go with.

Supported Platforms

Redbox Instant

Xbox 360

Samsung Smart TVs & Blu-ray Players

LG Smart TVs

Google TV

Apple iPhones & iPads

Android Phones & Tablets

Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, & Windows 8

Mac OS X 10.4 or higher

Hulu Plus

Wii U

Apple TV

Xbox 360

PS3

Roku

Wii

Apple iPhone, iPad, & iPod Touch

Android Phones & Tablets

Windows 8

Amazon Kindle Fire

Nook

Windows Phone 8

Nintendo 3DS

Mac OS X 10.4 or above

Windows XP or above

Samsung Smart TVs/Blu-ray players

VIZIO Smart TVs/Blu-ray players

Sony Smart TVs/Blu-ray players

LG Smart TVs/Blu-ray players

Panasonic Smart TVs/Blu-ray players

Sharp Smart TVs

Philips Smart TVs

Toshiba Blu-rays

Dynex Blu-rays

Denon Blu-rays

Marantz Blu-rays

Funai Streaming Player

Netgear Media Players

RCA Media Players

WD TV Media Players

Tivo Premiere

Winner: Hulu Plus

Hulu Plus is the clear winner here with many more supported platforms for streaming. Redbox Instant does have the main devices covered, but Hulu Plus goes above and beyond to bring their streaming capabilities to as many consumers as possible.

Pricing

Redbox Instant

Hulu Plus

A monthly fee of $7.99 gives you unlimited video streaming.

Winner: Tie

Both services are offered at $8 per month. It is debatable whether Redbox Instant should win this category as they offer the 4 DVD credits per month, but as for pricing and the affordability factor both services are reasonably priced.

Free Trial Offer

Redbox Instant

A 30-day free trial offer is available which requires a credit card, but can be canceled before the 30-day period and you won’t be charged a dime. Both unlimited streaming and 4 DVD credits are awarded to you during this trial period.

Hulu Plus

A 2-week free trial offer is available which requires a credit card, but can also be canceled before the 30-day period without any cost to you. Unlimited streaming is awarded to you during this trial period.

Winner: Redbox Instant

Redbox Instant provides double the amount of time to test their service without being charged and allows you to get 4 free Redbox kiosk rentals for no extra cost.

Function

Redbox Instant

Streaming is simple and easy with no hiccups or issues when viewing content from my end. The user interface is decent, but could be a little simpler in some aspects. You are not subject to any advertisements when streaming content through the service.

Hulu Plus

My streaming experience was also positive with a very simple UI and auto-play from where I left off in a video is extremely convenient. I prefer the user interface of Hulu Plus better than Redbox Instant, but the fact that Hulu Plus displays unavoidable advertising while watching your content brings up a major annoyance to deal with especially when you’ve paid good money for a “premium” subscription.

Winner: Redbox Instant

If I’m paying the same money for two similar services and one service forces me to sit through annoying video advertisements at various points throughout my content then I really can’t be too thrilled with that service. Due to this, Redbox Instant takes the cake on this one.

Overall Winner

The overall winner of the Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant showdown is Redbox Instant. Though it was a close one, Redbox Instant took the prize with their lengthly trial period, lack of advertisements, and free DVD rental credits. Keep in mind that everyone is different and Hulu Plus is still an excellent video streaming service so some of you may have a difference experience with one service or the other.

The main factor to decide between the two is whether you are looking to get access to streaming movies or TV shows. If you want movies, you will want to go with Redbox Instant. If you want access to TV shows then it’s Hulu Plus all the way. Either way, I highly suggest signing up for each service’s free trial (Hulu Plus or Redbox Instant) to get experience what each service offers for yourself.

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Colt is a 24 year old technology fanatic and a graduate from the University of Massachusetts. He loves testing out the newest products and helping people make tech-related purchases. When he is not working on new content for TheTechReviewer.com, he can be found spending time with his Australian Shepherd, Mia.
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Thorough comparison, thanks!
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